Cheeking machine



' D. E. HARDING Nov. 8, 192 7.

CHEEKING MACHINE v Filed Sept; 18, 1925 4 Sheets-$heei 1 Nov. 8, 1927, 1,648,845

D. E. HARDING CIZIEEKING MACHINE Filed Sept. 18, 1925 -4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,845 p. 1;; HARDING CHEEKING MACHINE I71 0677 for ffim dito r2163 Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

'nnrrso srArss PATENT .OFFICE.

DANA. E. HARDING, OF ARLINGTON, MASSACEIUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR 10 HARDING ENGI- NEERING COMPANY. OF .BQSTON, MAS

GHU$ETTS.

Application filed September (.151 ei-zerted by a knife or knives. This operafor is 'on is exceedingly laborious and also e21- "eedingly dangerous, numerous accldents ng ocenrrci'l on machines of this characl urther. there is a large wast-age as the hides are often torn and the resulting product is very uneven in character.

In my Patent No. 1,621,982, granted li nrrch 27, 1927, I have described and claimed an improved machine for performing this checking operation. The present invention. is to be considered as an improveinent over the machine described and claimed in the application above referred to, the improvements being directed particularly to devices for smoothing out or leveling the hides before the same come into engagement with the checking knives, a more efficient clamping means, a scraper which automatically forces the checked hide off the rolls and sin'niltaneously cleans the rolls of i substance that may have colcon, and further consists in the provision of a safety stop for the starting clutch and associated with the treadle lever.

The principal object of my invention,

- therefore, is an improved checking machine.

Another object of my invention is an improved m ans for holding a hide or skin during the checking operation.

A further object of my invention is an improved putting out wiper for checking machines.

A still further object of my invention is an improved safety stop for a starting clutch of a checking machine.

Other objects and novel features of the construction and arrangement of parts comprising my device will appear as the descrip tion of the invention progresses. I

In the accompanying drawings illustrat- SAGQIUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CI-IEEKING MACHINE.

12, 1925. sea-m1 No. 57,102.

ing the preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation;

Fig. 2 is a left end elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a right end elevation of the upper portion of Fig. 1;

- Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the checking cylinder in a position more advanced than that shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. .5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of a portion of the machine showing the checking cylinder in a position further advanced than that shown in Fig. 4-;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the checking cylinder in a still further advanced position andv with the automatic scraper in position to operate;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevation showing the checking cylinder in a still further advanced position than that shown in Fig. 6 and with the clamping means for holding the hide or skin on the cylinder released;

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation of the safety device; v

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of Fig. 8; i

Fig. 10 is a front elevation of the putting out wiper, and I Fig. 11 is a sectional plan view on the line 1111 of Fig. 10.

Referring to the drawings, 10 and 11 designate right andleft end members respectively spaced apart from and held in fixed relation by longitudinal members 12 adjacent to the lower end thereof. These mem bers 12 are secured to the end members 10 and 11 by bolts or rivets 13. Secured to the upper rear end of the end members 10 and 11 by bolts or rivets 1 1 is a longitudinally extending member 15. Secured to the upper surface of the members 10 and 11 in alignment with each other are bearings 16 and in these bearings is rotatably mounted one end of the shaft 17. Secured to the outer face of the member 11 by bolts 18 is a bearing strut 19 in which is formed a bearing 20 that is in alignment with the bearings 16. Rotatably mounted in the bearing 20 is the other end of'the shaft 17, and disposed on the shaft 17 is a one revolution clutch 22, an annular groove 23 being formed in such member.

Secured to the member 19 and extending inwardly toward the rectangular member 11 is a shaft 24 and rotatably mounted on the shaft 24 is a pinion 25 that meshes with and drives a gear 26 secured to the shaft 21. Secured to the pinion 25 is a gear 28 which meshes with and is driven by a pinion 29 secured to a shaft 30 that is rotatably mounted in a bearing in the mem ber 19 and in a bearing member 31 secured to, or formed integral with, the member 11. Mounted on the shaft 30 are thefast and loose pulleys 32 and 33 respectively and over which run belts extending from any suitable source of power.

Rotatably mounted in the rectangular members 10 and 11 adjacent to the bottom thereof is a shaft 34 and on this shaft is secured a treadle 35 and by means of which the shaft 34 may be oscillated. Adjacent to the member 11 and on the shaft 34 is sooured an inwardly extending arm 36 and to the inner end of this arm is pivotally attached the lower end of a link 37. The upper end of the link 37 is pivotally attached to the free end of a member 38 pivotally mounted on a shaft 27 secured to the member 39 on the end member 11. Formed on a side face of the member 33' and extending laterally outward therefrom is a lug 40.-

, poses, as will be hereinafter described. The

upper end of the bolt 41 is pivotally attached to one arm 43 of a bell crank lever that is pivotally mounted in a bearing 44 formed on the member 19. The other arm 45 of this bell crank lever is forked to fit into the annu lar groove 23 in the clutch 22, the ends of the fork being provided with rollers 46 to lessen the friction ther-ebetween. Then the treadle 35 is operated, the free end of the arm 36 -moves upward, causing the lug 40 on the member 38 to move into engagement with the upper nuts 42, thereby moving the forked ends of the arm 45 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, and causing the clutch member 22 to be operated in a. manner to connect the shafts 21 and 17. The clutch 22 is or may be any of the well known forms of one revolution clutches and the details of such clutch will not, therefore, be described. The clutch 22, however, is provided with means for lessening the shock due to the engagement of the clutch members. This mechanism consists in the following. A portion of the clutch mechanism 22 is designated by the numeral 47. This element 47 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 21, but is prevented from having longitudinal movement with respect thereto. Formed integral with the member 47 and extending substantially radially outward therefrom is an arm 48. This arm lies parallel to, but spaced apart from, one face of the gear 26, as clearly seen in Fig. 1. Formed on or secured to one face of the gear 26 is a member 49, this member being drilled to receive a hollow plunger 50 as a sliding fit therein and a spring 51, one end of the spring engaging with the inner end of the hollow member 49 and the other end engaging with the inner end of the hollow plunger 50. As will be obvious, the spring 51 tends to force the plunger 50 out of the member 49. The outer end of the plunger 50 engages with one edge or face of the arm 48 and thus tends to rotate the arm 50 and the member 47 on which it is mounted to the left as viewed, for example, in Fig. 3. Too far a movement of the member 48 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 3, is

prevented by the engagement of the oppo-.

adjusting screw 52 cooperates with the same 7 and with the lug 53 to hold the screw in any desired adjusted position.

Secured to the shaft 17 between the end members 10 and 11 is a sector 55, this sector including a portion of the cylinder, and opposite thereto is secured a member 56 extending parallel to the shaft 17 andprovided with a plurality of locking depressions for a purpose to be hereinafter described. Secured to each end of the sector 55 are members 57. Fomed integral with each member 57 and extending radially outward from the shaft 1" is an arm 58- and to the outer end of each of these arms is pivotally mounted, intermediate its ends, a lever '59. Extending between the levers 59 and secured thereto at each end thereof is a locking bar 60, to one edge of which is secured. a longitudinally grooved member 610 that cooperates with the grooved member 56 to lock or retain a hide or skin in position on the sector 55. Also formed integral with the members 57 and extending radially outward from the shaft 17 are members 61. Pi-votally mounted in each of the members 61 is a lever 62. To one end of each of the levers 62 is pivotally attached a member or link 63,

this member being provided with a reduced joining point of the members 62 and 63 be yond a straight line joining the pivotal. mounting of the lever 62 and the pivotal connection of the member 66 with the lever 59.

When in the normal position or the position shown, for example, in Fig. 3, the member 60 is engaged at its central outer portion by a latch member 69 pivotally mounted 1n the upper portion of a member 70 secured to the upper face of the cross bar, 15. Associated with the latch member 69 is a spring and plunger 71 and 72 respectively WillCil tend, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, to rotate the latch member 69 about its pivot point in a clockwise direction. Slidably mounted in a substantially vertical direction in the member 70 adjacent to the latch member 69 is a spring pressed plunger 73 which engages with one edge of the bar 60, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the spring pressed plunger 73 act ing, when the bar 60 is released from the latch member 69, to force the bar 60 upward and simultaneously rotate the same about its pivot point.

As long as the bar 60 is in the position shown in Fig. 3, or until the corrugated member 610 is out of engagement with the corrugated member 56, a safety means is pro vided for preventing the operation of the clutch mechanism 22. This safety mecha nism consists essentially in the following. Pivotally mounted on the end frame member 11 is a latch 7 L and at the lower end of such latch is attached one end of a coil spring the other end of this coil spring being attached to a pin 77 secured to any con venient portion of the member 11. A hook 78 formed on the latch member 74 lies in the path of movement of the lever 38 as the same is moved about its pivot point by the connecting rod 37 Referring to Fig. 2, it will be noted that, when the locking bar 60 is engaged by the latch member 69, a roller 75, rotatably mounted on the arm 62, lies in the path of movement of the latch member 7 4 about its pivot point. Rotative movement of the latch member 74 is thus prevented and under these circumstances it will be impossible to rotate the lever 38 about its pivot point. This being so, there will be no movement of the lug 40 thereon and, therefore, the lever 43 cannot be rotated to move the elements of the clutch 22 into engagement with each other. Until, therefore. the latch member 69 is operated to release the locking bar 60 and the locking bar moved into such a position as to practically straighten out the members 62 and 63 so as to move the roller 75 from the position shown in Fig. 2 into substantially the position shown in 4, it will be impossible to start the mechanism in operation. lVhen the locking bar 60 has been operated in the manner described, the roller 75 on the arm 62 will move from the full line position shown in Fig. 9 to the dotted line position shown in such figure whence it will be seen that, under these circumstances, the latch member 74 may be rotated about its pivot point. Secured to the inner face of each of. the side members 10 and 11 and concentrically mounted with respect to the main drive shaft 17 are cam members 76. These cam members 76 are adapted to be engaged by the rollers 75 and act during the rotation of the member 55 to maintain the locking bar 60 in either its locked or unlocked position with respect to the cylinder. Secured to the end of the shaft- 17 remote from the clutch 22 and outside of the frame member 10 is an arm 78 of any convenient length. Secured to the outer face of the frame member 10 in any suitable man nor are spring buffers 7 9 and 80 respectively. By the use of these buffers in connection with the arm 78, the shock to the cylinder 55 here tofore experienced in apparatus of this kind is eliminated. Secured to the shaft 17 at each end of the cylindrical member 55 is an arm 81 and secured to the outer end of each of the arms 81 is one end of a coil spring 82, the other end of this spring being attached to a pin 83 extending laterally outward from the cam member 76. The springs 82 in connect-ion with the arms 81 tend to rotate the shaft 17 and attached parts in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed, for example, in Figs. '2, 4, 5, 6, and '7. Secured to each of the arms 81 is a spring latch member '8 1-each of which is adapted to engage with a member secure-d to the members 62. The combined tension of the springs 82 is only slightly less thanthe combined tension of the latch members 8 1 so that, when the shaft 17 has been rotated in a clockwise direction until the elements thereof are in the position shown in Fig. 7, the latch members 84 will engage with the members 85 on the element 62 and the mechanism will be held in this position against the tension of the springs 82.. The operator of the machine, however, by pushing slightly on the member 62 or on the member 61 will, with the aid of the spring 82, overcome the tension of the spring parts will be held in this, which is the normal or inoperative, position.

Mounted on the cross bar 15 between the member 70 and the cylindrical member 55 is a base plate and in this base plate 90 is adjustably mounted the cutting knife 91 of suitable dimensions, such knife extending. however, substantially throughout the major portion of the length of the cylindrical member 55, as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Pivotally mounted on a base member 90 above the cutter 91 is a scraper 92, this scraper resting lightly on the outer surface of the cylindrical member 55 or on the surface of the hide 93 being operated on as the shaft 17 rotates in a lUU ill)

(ill

cured to the bracket 31.

clockwise direction, but which will engage with the surface of the cylindrical member 55, as clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 7 acting as a shaft 17 rotates in an anti-clockwise direction, to scrape the hide 93 from the cylindrical member 55 and also-scrape from the surface of such cylindrical member 55 any dirt or other foreign substance that may have collected thereon.

Secured to the rear portions of the frame members 10 and 11 and to the cross bars or supports 12 and 15 is a member 941. Secured to each side of the member 9% and extending forwardly therefrom are bearing struts 95, these struts being in alignment with each other, and extending between such struts is a shaft 96. Secured to the member 9 1 in any suitable manner, as by bolts 97, is a member 98. Rotat-ably mounted on the shaft 96 are a plurality of parallelly arranged forwardly and upwardly extending arms 99, each of which, intermediate its ends, and on the rear ends thereof, is provided with a projection 100. Screwed into the projections 100 and extending downwardly and rearwardly therefrom are bolts 101, each of which, passes through a perforation in the member 98. The head of the bolt 101 prevents too far a forward movementor rotative movement of the arm 99 on the shaft 96and surrounding the bolt 101 between the member 98 and the projection 100 on the arms 99 is a spring 102 which tends to move the upper ends of the arms 99 in a forward or clockwise direction about the shaft 96. Each of the parallelly arranged arms is provided at its upper end with a member 103 substantially rectangular in shape and ofany suitable material. The forward face of these members 103 are corrugated, as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the corrugations extending from a central point and slanting outward to the right and left, as shown in Fig. 10. The function of the yieldingly held corrugated face members 103 is to fan out any inequalities in the sheet of leather 93 being worked on in the machine and the manner in which this is done will be plainly apparent from an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Secured to the shaft at the end remote from the pinion 29 is a bevel pinion 110 that meshes with and drives a bevel gear 111 rotatably mounted on a shaft 112 se- Secured to the bevel gear 111 is a sprocket 113 which is in alignment with a sprocket 114 secured to a shaft 115. The shaft 115 is rotatably mounted in bearings 116 secured to the under face of the members 12. Over the sprockets 113 and 114 runs asprocket chain 117 and by means of which power is transmitted from the shaft 112 to the shaft 115. Secured to the shaft 115 between the bearings 116 is a roller 118 and over which runs an endless conveyor belt 119. This endless conveyor belt 119 is clearlyshown inFig. 1 and may be of any convenient length, a roller (not shown) similar to the roller 118 being provided for the other end of the belt. The endless conveyor belt 119 extends upwardly and to the right, as viewed in Fig. 1, theupper reach thereof moving in the direct-ion ofthe arrow shown in such figure. As, under ordinary circumstances the distance between the roller 118 atone end and the roller (not shown) at the other end is considerable and I have provided an intermediate roller 120 secured "to a shaft 121 that is rotatably mounted in bearings formed in the members 12.

The operation of my improved device is as follows, it being assumed that it is desired to perform the operation. known as checking on hides or skins during the seen for exam le in Fi 4E. The 0 era-tor having positioned the hide or skin 93, reaches over the top of the machine and pushes on the latch member 69, moving such latch member out of engagement with the locking bar 60, whereupon the spring pressed plunger 73 imparts a preliminary rotary movement to the locking bar 60 and to the lever 59 on which the same is mounted. As described above, the mechanism as sociated with the locking bar 60, and particularly the arm 62 and roller 75 carried thereby, acts as a safety device to prevent operation of the clutch member by a pushing down of the treadle until after the locking bar is in position; that is, until the corrugated member 610 carried thereby is in engagement with the corrugated member 56 carried by the cylindrical member 55. The operator, in moving the locking bar 60 into the locking positioinmoves it substantially into the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and in this movement the mem bers 62 and 63 lie in substantially a straight line with the pivot point between 62 and 63 slightly to one side of a straight line joining the pivot point of the member 66 with the lever 59 and the pivot of the chamber 62 on the arm 61.. This movement carries the roller from the position shown in Fig. 2 below the end of the cam member 76 to the position shown in Fig. 4; that is,

Ilu

treadle 35, moving the connecting rod 37 upward and rotating the lever 38 about its pivot point, whereupon the lug 40 carried by said lever 38 engages with the upper pair of nuts 12 on the belt 41 and rotates the bell crank lever 43 so as to bring the members of the one way clutch 22 into operative relation with each other. The shaft 17 is now rotating in a clockwise direction, as viewed, for example, in Figs. 2, 4, 5, '6, and 7, and in this rotation the hide or skin 93 is brought into engagement with the cutting edge of the cutter 91 which, having been properly adjusted, skives off from such hide or skin 93 the surplus material on the cheeked portions thereof. In this rotative movement of the shaft 17, and therefore, the cylindrical member 55, the cheek portion ofthe hide or skin 93 is brought into engagement with the corrugations on' the members 103, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of the drawings. Such cheek portions will, therefore, be fanned out and the hide or skin 93 smoothed fiat onto the cylindrical portion and, therefore, there will be no tendency on the part of the knife 91 to cut the cheek portions into ribbons as it would do and has done in prior machines. During this rotative movement of the shaft 17, the scraper 92 slides lightly over the skin side of the hide or skin 93 and the rotative movement continues through its various stages, as shown in Figs. 4;, 5, 6, and 7. When the elements have reached the position shown inFig. 6, the levers 62 engage with a stop member 120 formed on bases 121 secured at each side of the front of the machine, and continued movement of the shaft 17 will cause the levers 59, 62, and members 63 and 66 to move from the position shown in Fig. 6 into the position shown in Fig. 7 where it will be obvious that the corrugated member 610 is moved out of engagement with the corrugated member 56, thereby releasing the hide or skin 93. As the elements reach the position shown in Fig. 7, the spring latches 84; will engage with the members 85 on the lever 62 and the elements will be held in the position shown in Fig. 7 against the tension of the spring 82. As the rotative movement of the shaft 17 is rapid, and as the elements carried thereby are relatively heavy, the arm 78 and shock absorbing elements 79 and 80 have been provided so that, as the elements reach the position shown in Fig. 7, the arm 78 will engage with the spring plunger 80, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby bringing the shaft 17 and all parts carried thereby to rest without shock. The clutch 22, being a one-revolution clutch, will, of course, have been thrown out of action before the arm 78 engages with the spring plunger 80. The hide or skin 93 being released will, of its own weight, slide downward from the position shown in Fig. 7 onto the conveyor belt 119 which conveys the same laterally of the machine and into any suitable receptacle or to any suitable point. The operator, wishing to return the elements to their normal or inoperative position, pushes on the lever 62, moving the spring latches 84 out of engagement with the members 85, this action being assisted by the spring bu'fier '80 and by the spring-82. When thus released, the spring 82 is sufficiently strong to cause a rotative movement of the shaft 17 in an anti-clockwise direction so as to bring the locking bar into position in engagement with the latch 69 or so nearly into position that the locking operation is performed without difficulty. Should there be any tendency on the part ofthe hide or skin 93 to adhere to the member 55, such tendency will be overcome by the scraper 92 which, engaging with the surface of the member 55 in the anti-clockwise rotation thereof, will scrape notonly the hide or skin 93 therefrom, but will also clean the surface of such member 55. The sequence of operations above described may be repeated indefinitely.

While I have necessarily described the preferred embodiment somewhat in detail,

it is to be understood that I may vary the size, shape, and arrangement of parts within wide limits without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what i I claim as new is:

- 1. In an improved cheeking machine,com-

prising a shaft, an arcuate support for a ide mounted thereon, and rotatable therewith, a hide clamping device associated therewith and comprising a member secured to the arcuate support and provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves, and a clamping bar provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves and movable toward and from the first said grooved bar.

2. In an improved checking machine, comprising a shaft, an arcuate support for a hide mounted thereon, and rotatable therewith, a hide clamping device associated therewith and comprising a member secured to the arcuate support and provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves, a clamping bar provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending lit,

grooves and movable toward and from the first said grooved bar, and means for piv- 3. An improved cheeking machine, com prising a rotatably mounted shaft, an arcuate support for a hide mounted thereon and rotatable therewith, a pair of arms on said shaft and extending radially outward there from at each end of said arcuate support, a cheeking knife associated with said support, a hide holding member secured to or formed on the arcuate support and extending longitudinally thereof, said hide holding member being provided with a plurality of parallelly arranged grooves, a lever pivotally mounted on each of said radially extending arms, and a locking bar secured to the ends of said levers and cooperating with the hide holding member to hold a hide in position on the arcuate support.

4:. An improved cheekingmachine comprising a shaft, means for rotating said shaft in either direction, anarcaute support for a hide mounted thereon and rotatable therewith, means for clamping a hide therefor a hide mounted thereon and rotatable therewith, means for clamping a hide there- 'on, a cheeking knife associated with the arble upon the rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction, said scraper being mounted above the cheeking knife.

6. An improved cheeking machine comprising a shaft, an arcuate support for ahide mounted thereon and rotatable therewith,

7. An improved cheeking machine comprising a shaft, an arcuate support for a hide mounted thereon and rotatable therewith, meansfor clamping a hide thereon, a cheeking knife associated with the arcuate support, and a plurality of parallelly arranged members provided with grooved faces and constituting a putting out wiper for smoothing a hide or skin prior to its engagement with the cheeking knife.

8. An improved cheeking machine comprising a shaft, an arcuate support for ahide mounted thereon and rota-table therewith, means for clamping a hide thereon, a cheeking knife associated with the arcuate support, and a plurality of parallelly arranged and independently rotatable members provided on their faces with parallelly arranged grooves constituting a putting out wiper for smoothing a hide or skin prior to its engagement with the cheeking knife.

9. An improved cheeking machine Cuinprising a shaft, an arcuate support for a hide mounted thereon and rotatable therewith, means for clamping a hide thereon, a cheeking knife associated with the arcuate support, and a plurality of parallelly arranged and independently rotatable members extending in a line parallel to the axis of the arcuate support and provided with a: plurality of parallelly arranged grooves extendingoutward at an angle to the medial line and constituting a putting out wiper for smoothing a hide or skin prior to its engagement with the cheeking knife.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

DANA E. HARDING. 

